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| Sunday, 31 March 2002 |
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Ganguly
hopeful of Test series victory against Windies
CALCUTTA, India, March 30 (Reuters) - India have an excellent opportunity to claim a rare test series victory on their West Indies tour starting next week but it will not be easy, skipper Saurav Ganguly said on Saturday. "I agree it is a huge opportunity for winning a series abroad," Ganguly told reporters ahead of the team's departure on Monday to play five tests and as many one-dayers. Many pundits expect India to clinch their first test series outside the sub-continent for over 16 years against a struggling West Indies. "They are not such a great side they were in the 1970s or '80s. No side in the world can persist with such standards of cricket over a period of 30 years," Ganguly said. West Indies have been whitewashed in both the series they have played in 2001-2 - 3-0 in Sri Lanka and 2-0 against Pakistan in Sharjah. Ganguly added left-hander Brian Lara, returning to the side after being sidelined for three months with a fractured elbow, and skipper Carl Hooper were still capable of rallying their weakened side. "West Indies is going through a transition period but still they have names that can turn around cricket games on their own like Lara and Hooper." BIG CHALLENGE India themselves will have to overturn their winless streak outside south Asia since clinching a test series in England in 1985-86, a poor record largely attributed to shaky batting on lively pitches abroad. Ganguly admitted that still remained a challenge for the Indian batsmen weaned on slow turning tracks at home. The Indian pace attack will also have their work cut out as spinners are unlikely to gain much assistance from the pitches. "When you go on an overseas tour, you obviously have to take four genuine seamers," said Ganguly. They won't leave the wickets bare for us to take advantage of." Ganguly also backed his Bengal team mate Deep Dasgupta, the wicket-keeper selected for the tour despite coming under fire for his frequent fumblings behind the stumps. Indian selectors retained Dasgupta in the 16-player squad owing to his solid performance as a makeshift opener, including young Ajay Ratra as the specialist stumper. But Ganguly said Dasgupta's main job was still behind the stumps. "He has done very well as an opener. But the important role for Deep is 'keeping, especially in a test match." |
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